Ribbon-inking machine



H. G. MUTSCHLER.

RIBBON INKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30, 1919.

Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l- I INVENTOR.

/ ATTORNEYS.

H. G. M'UTSCHLER.

RIBBON lNKlNG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30, 1919.

Patented Aug. 31; 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR. 44 :9. 277

My W ATTORNEYS.

H. G. MUTSCHLER.

RIBBON INKING MACHINE- APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30, 1919.

Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

:9 INVENTOR. BYE;

I V4 ATTORNEYS.

, HENRY e. MUTSCHLER,-OF ROCHESTER, NEW 03K, 'AssI'eNon TO A. & E. G. MUTSCH- .rice.

w LER, INC., OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK,'A CORPORATION.

BIIBBON-INKING MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY G. MU'rsc mm, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have inventedcertain'new and useful Improvements in Ribbon-Inking Machines, of which the following is a specification. 1

he present invention relates to inking machines and more particularly to the type employed for inking ribbons such as-those used'in t pewriting and otherlrecord machines.

provide an inking machine in which the 11 object of this invention is to amount of ink fed to the inking mechanism may be effectively controlled by a simtple and inexpensivemeans. Another object .of

the invention is to provide a construction which is adapted for making bichrome ribbons and which will produce such ribbons properly saturated or coated without any intermingling 'of the colors. Another object of the invention is to provide between an inking mechanism and thetake-up wheel a guide for the ribbon which maybe ad-- justed in such a manner as to eliminate all slack between the take-up wheel and-the inking mechanism. Y

vTo these and other ends, the lnventlon cons sts of certain arts and comblnatlons of parts, all of which will be hereinafter pointed described, the novel features being out in the appended claims.

" In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a bichrome rib-- machine embodying the present bon inking invention; v

Fig. 2 is adialgrammatic view showing the driving means .of the two inking mechanisms and thetake-up wheel; I

F ig..3 is a section on the line 3-3, Fig, 1

looking toward the right;

Fig. 4: is a, horizontal section on the line H, Fig. 1;'

an upper roller of each inkingmechanism;

- Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan view showing the wipers cooperating with the lowerroller of each inkingmechanism Fig. 8 is a fragmentaryiview partially in section and partially in' side elevation show- 'bodiment,.two inking mechanisms are ar-.

lmechanisms operating on the ribbon at two Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug; 31, 1920 Application filed September 30, 1919. Serial No. 327505. I

ing-the wipers cooperating with'the lower roller of each inking mechanism;

Fig. 9 ,is a sectional View through the frame on the line 99; Fig. 1;

Fig. 1O is a vertical section on the line 33, Fig. 1 looking toward the left;

Fig. 11 is a detail view showing the ad-- I justable ribbon gui'debetween the inking mechanism and the take-up reel; and

Fig. 12 is. a detail view of the brake on the end of the shaft of the feed reel.

In the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated 1 indicates two legs of supports which are connected together by two angle bars 2- to form the base of the main frame. On this frame one or more inking mechanisms are mounted. together with means for causing an inking ribbon to travel past such inking mechanisms. In this. en'iranged on the frame in such a mannerv as to ink opposite edges of a ribbon fed by the ribbon feeding 'mechanis1n,-these inking spaced pointsso that the ribbon hastime to absorb ink of one mechanism and the ink has time-to set b'efore'ink is fed to the ribbon by the other inking mechanism.

In this embodimentof the invention, each inking mechanism is supported on the main frame through two standards, said standards being bolted at their lower ends to the .angle: bars 2, at 5 and being provided with vertical guide slots 6, the upper ends of .each pair of standards being connected by across piece 7; The inking devices comprise .in this'instance, two rollers 8 and 9, the roller 8 being' arranged above the roller 9 and both rollers each having its shaft mounted to turnin apair of bearin blocks 10 whichare guided in the two stan ards 4.

Ink is fed to each pair of inking rollers S and 9 preferably by a feed roller 11 for each pair, such feed roller in this instance being Journaled in the standards 4 below the pairof'inking rollers so as to cooperate with the lowermost I portion of the roller 9.

feed roller preferably turns in anink' pot or receptacle 12 and carries ink therefrom to the lower inking roller- 9 which in turn conducts it to the inking ribbon 13 operatingbetween the rollers 8 and 9, the roller:

8 tending to squeeze the ink into the inking ribbon.

The operating planesof the'twopairs of This the other pair inks substantially the other half of the ribbon due to the fact that the rollers operate along oppositeedges of the ribbon.

The second pair of inking rollers 8'and 9 .are adjustable in the direction of their axes, the purpose of this being to change their operating planes in order that the op erating planes may be moved toward or from the operating planes of the first named pair of rollers. This adjustment is preferably effected by making the shafts 74 and of said rollers 8 and 9 adjustable axially, said shafts in this instance each havin screw threaded portions 76 thereon (see Fig. 4) near each bearing and being provided with nuts 77 engaging said screw threaded portions and also the inner faces of the bearings 10 in which said shafts turn.

For controlling the amount of ink fed to each pair of rollers 8 and 9 through the feed roller 11, means is provided for adjusting the rollers 8 and 9 with reference to its feeding roller. This means in this instance comprises wedge blocks 19. arranged at the lower ends of the slots 6 and 'movable transversely of said-slots through adjusting screws 2U, these wedge blocks coiiperating with inclined surfaces 21 on the lower bearing blocks 10 so that a. movement of the wedge blocks 19 transversely of the length of the slots effects the movement of the rollers 8 and 9 in the guide slots 6 and in this way moves the roller 9 toward and from the roller 11 to vary the amount of ink taken up bythe roller 9 from the roller 11. j

Each roller 8 may be held toward its roller 9 with a yielding pressure and to this end a pressure frame 22 has depending portions 23 guided in the upper part of the guides and engaging the upper surfaces of the blocks 10 which support theroller 8. This pressure frame is acted upon by a weight 24 adjustably mounted on an arm 25 which is pivoted at 26 to the cross piece 7 and bears adjacent its pivot in a saddle 27 on the top w of the cross bar 22. This pressure means in addition to holding the roller 8 with pressure toward the roller 9, also tends to maintain cooperation between the roller 9 and the roller 11, such coiiperation being controlled by the adjustable wedge blocks 19. A screw 22* carried by the frame 22 serves to cooperate with the cross piece 7 in order to equalize the pressure on the rollers.

The driving of the two inking mechanisms is effected preferably through a pulley 28 on the shaft of one of the feeding rollers 11 and also arranged on this shaft of the feeding roller are a loose pulley 28*, a hand wheel 3 and a gear 29, the latter meshing with a gear 30 on the shaft of the roller 9 directly above said roller 11. This gear'30 in turn meshes with a gear 31 on the shaft of the roller 8 above the aforesaid roller 9. Also arranged on the shaft of the roller 11 on which the pulley 28 is arranged is a sprocket wheel 32 which by a sprocket chain 33 connects with a sprocket wheel 34 on the shaft of the other roller 11. This shaft of the last mentioned roller 11 has a sprocket wheel 35 thereon and a gear wheel 36. The gear wheel 36 meshes with a gear wheel 37 on the roller 9 directly above the-last mentioned feed roller 11 and the gear wheel 37 in turn meshes with a gear wheel 38 on the shaft of the roller 8 cooperating with said roller 9.

It is desirable that excess ink be removed from the end of each lower roller adjacent the. portion that operates at the center of the ribbon. To. this end a scraping means is provided comprising preferably two scraping blades 14 projecting in opposite directions from a post 15 supported between the ink pots 12'on the main frame. These blades have faces provided with yielding material and cooperate with a lower roller 9 and a feeding roller ,11 adjacent the point where the peripheries of these two rollers engage, Each blade has an inner resilient portion 16 which will permit the movement of the yielding portion toward and from the two rollers 9 and 11. Movement of each blade may be effected by aset screw 17 mounted on an arm 18 and engaging with the blade.

' The uni nked tape is held on a drum 39 which' has a flange 40 at one side thereof.

This drum is secured by a set screw 41 to a .shaft 42 that is mounted to turn in a bear ing 43 on a bracket 44 projecting upwardly from one of the side bars 2. Also arranged on the shaft 42 is a friction disk 45' with which a friction band 46 engages (see Fig.

12). This friction band prevents the shaft 42 and the drum 39 secured to such shaft from rotating too freely. After leaving the drum 39 the tape passes between two pairs of rollers 8 and 9 and is conducted to a takewheel 53 which has slip connection with the shaft preferablythrough a disk 54 secured to the sprocket and a disk 55 secured to the shaft, a spring 56 acting on the sprocket to hold the disks 54 and 55 in coiiperation. The sprocket 53 connects by a chain 57 with the sprocket 35 on the shaft of the adjacent feed roller 11 (see Fig. 2)'. This slip connection between the sprocket 53 and the shaft is provided in order that should the under flat side of-the ribbon or tape, the

receiving ends of the flat surfaces being turned downwardly. At one side, each guide has an upwardly extending guide flange 60, the guide flanges being on opposite sides in the two guides and lying in the operating planes of the rollers of the other pair. The guides 58 and 59 are each adjustably supported upon a rod61, said rod being supported at opposite ends. in brackets 62 bolted to the standards 4.. A set screw' 63 adjustably secures each guide to its rod 61 so that the ide may be moved transversely of the hne of feed of the ribbon in order that its guiding edge may coeperate with one edge oftlie ribbon.

A slack take-up and. guide may be arranged between the take-up drum 47 and the second acting inking mechanism. This device is shown in detail and comprises preferably a 'shaft 64'secured in a bracket 65 which projects upwardly from one of the side bars 2, such shaft having thereon a two arm frame 66 which is adjustably secured in-difierent positions on the shaft 64 by a set screw 67. Between the two arms 66 a roller 68 is arranged, said roller being supported by adjustable bearings 69 on the two arms and having two adjustable-collars 70 thereon between which the ribbon 13.

,rollers operating along opposite edges of a operates, these-collars being adjustable so that different widths of ribbons may be accommodated. Owing to the fact 'that the guide roller-'68 is mounted on a frame adapted to swingron the shaft 64,. the guide is adapted to swing about an axis for the purpose of taking up slack inthe ribbon -be-.

' 1 tween the inking mechanism and the takeon the frame of the machine preferably 50 up drum orreel. I

If desired, a-paper reel 71 may be mounted through an arm 72 secured to a sidebar 2 of the main. frame. A paper tape 73 leads from this drumto theribbon take-up drum 47 and is adapted tosupply a paper strip to the drum between the convolutions of the ribbon so that any excess ink will be absorbed by the paper strip. g 1- a The operation of the invention-will be understood from the foregoing description but it may be summarized as follows:

An uninked tape on the reel 39 is started, through the machine being carried through 1 the two inking mechanisms andconnected to I the take-up reel 47.

The guides 58 and 59 as well as the two pairs of inking rollers are properly adjusted [so that one edge of the ribbon is inked with 0116 color while the" .opposite edge of the ribbon is inked with another color, the operating planes of the- A two inking mechanisms being so adjusted 1 that the -tyo colors-meet without the intermingling. In passing through each inking mechanism, ink is taken up by the tape from the first lowerroller 9-which is fed by the feed roller 11. The upper roller 8 tends to squeeze the ink into the ribbon. After oneedge of the ribbon is inked, it passes to the second inking mechanismwhich acts in a like manner upon the opposite edge.

sure ,on the ribbon is determined by the.

adjustable weight 24. Slack in the ribbon between the second acting inking mecha-' nism,and the take-up reel is controlled by the combination guide and take-up 68.

From the foregoing it will be seen that there has been provided a bichromeribbon inking machine in which two inking mech anisms are provided to operate at spaced points on opposite edges of a ribbon fed through the machine, this being preferably effected through two pairs of rollers having their operating planes out ofalinement.

ribbon inking machine has also been provided in which a guide controls the passage of the ribbon by thetwo rollers and has its guiding edge spaced from one of the faces of the rollers. Scraping means has beer. employed in connection with two pairs of ribbon at two spaced points so that the rollers arecleared of excess ink at their ends adjacent thecenter of the ribbon. Means order. Pressure operating means coiiperates in connection with such adjusting means to maintain the desired pressure on the ribbon notwithstanding the different adjustments of the'inking rollers with reference to the ink feeding roller.

. "What Iv claim. as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

v 1. A bichrome ribbon inking machine comprising two inking mechanisms arranged to ink opposite edges of a ribbon fed through the machine, said mechanisms operating on the ribbon at two spaced points, in the direction of the length of the ribbon.

2. A bichrome ribbon inking machine comprising two pairs of. rollers between -which the ribbon is caused to travel, one pair. inking. the ribbon along one edge, and

inking the ribbon along one edge and the other pair inking the ribbon along the opposite edge, and means for efl'ecting an axial movement of one pair of rollers for the purpose of varying the field of operation of such rollers on the ribbon.

4. A bichrome ribbon inking, machine comprising two pairs of rollers between which the ribbon is caused "to travel, said pairs of rollers operating on the ribbon at two spaced points in the direction of the length of the ribbon and having their active sections out of alinement so that one pair will operate on a portion of the ribbon different from that on which the other pair operates.

5. A bichrome ribbon inking machine comprising two inking mechanisms past which the ribbon is caused to travel, said mechanisms operating on the ribbon at spaced points out of alinement in the direc tion of the travel of the ribbon so that said mechanisms operate along opposite edges of the ribbon.

6. A bichrome ribbon inking machine comprising two inking mechanisms past which the ribbon is caused to travel, said mechanisms operating on the ribbon at spaced points out of alinement in the direction of the travel ofthe ribbon so that said mechanisms operate along opposite edges of the ribbon, and means for adjusting one of said-mechanisms transversely of the direction of travel of the ribbon.

' 7. A ribbon inking machine comprising a pair of inking rollers between which the ribbon is caused to travel, and a uide for the longitudinal edge of the ri bon arranged in spaced relation to that face of said pair of rollers, which operates in the plane of the ribbon.

8. A bichrome ribbon inking machine comprising two pairs of rollers between which the ribbon is caused to travel, said rollers operating upon the ribbon at two spaced points and having their active sections out of alinement, and two guides, one for each pair of rollers, the guide of each of said pair of rollers having its guiding edge lying in the plane of operation of the other pair of rollers. a

9. A bichrome ribbon inking mechanism comprising two pairs of rollers between which the ribbon is caused to travel, said rollers operating upon the ribbon at two spaced points and havingtheir active sections out of alinement, and two scrapers operating on one roller of each pair at the end bearing blocks of the lower roller on the" guides to cause both rollers to move simultaneouslyv toward and from the feeding roller.

11. A ribbon inking machine comprising -a frame having a pair of slotted standards forming guides, an ink feeding roller journaled in the standard below the ends of said guide, a pair of inking rollers having bearing blocks movable on said guides, the upper roller being free to move toward the lower roller, and means for adjusting the bearing blocks of the lower roller on the.

guides in order to effect the simultaneous movement of both inking rollers toward and from the feeding roller. z

12. A ribbon inking machine comprising a feedingroller, a pair of inking rollers having bearing blocks adjustable toward and from the feeding rollers, the upper roller being free to move toward the lower roller and wedge members arranged to effect the movement of the lower bearin blocks on the guides in order to effect a slmultaneous movement of both inking rollers'toward and from the feeding roller.

13'. A ribbon. inking machine comprising a frame having a pair of slotted standards forming guides, a feeding roller journaled in the standards below the ends of the guides, a pair of inking rollers having bear- .ing blocks movable on the guides, the upper roller being free to move toward the lower roller and wedge blocks adjustably mounted at the lower ends of the slots to move transversely of-the slots in order to effect the movement of the lower bearing blocks on the guides for the purpose of moving both inking rollers toward and from the feeding roller.

14. A ribbon inking machine comprising a frame having a pair of slotted standards forming guides, a feeding roller journaled in the standards below the ends of the guides, a pair of inking rollers having bearing blocks movable on the guides, wedge blocks adj ustably mounted at the lower ends of the slots to effect the movement of the bearing blocks on the guides for the purpose of moving the pair of inking rollers toward and from the feeding roller, and means acting on said bearing blocks 'for the purpose of maintaining said inking rollers in cooperation with the-wedge members.

' 15. A ribbon inking machine comprising a frame having a pair of guides thereon, a'

. bearing v purpose of holding said upper roller toward the guides, wedge blocks 'adjustably.mount-- ed to cooperate with the bearing blocks of the lower roller for the purpose of adjusting said roller toward and from the feeding roller, and yielding means acting on the bearing blocks of the upper roller for the purpose of holding said upper roller toward the lower inking roller.

16. A ribbon inking machine oomprising a frame having a pair of guides thereon, a feeding roller mounted to turn on the frame below said guides, two inking rollers each having a pair of bearing blocksmovable on the guides, wedge blocks adjustably mounted to cooperate with the bearing blocks of the lower roller for the purpose of adjusting said roller toward andrfrom the feeding roller, and yielding means acting on the blocks of the upper roller for the the lower inking roller, said means comprising a weighted frame cooperating with the bearin blocks of the upper roller. I

17. ribbon inking machine comprising i a frame having a pair of standards provided with guide slots, an ink feeding rollerjournaled'inthe standards below said guide slot, a pair of rollers blocks movable in the guide slot, wedge each having a pair of bearmg 7 members adjustable transversely of vthe slots at the lower ends thereof and cooperating with the bearing blocks of the lower inking roller, a frame movably mounted on the standards cooperating with the bearing blocks of the upper inking roller, and a yweight acting on said frame.

18. A ribbon inking machinecomprising a frame having a pairiof standards provided with guide slots, anink feeding roller journaled in the standards below said guide slots, a pairof rollers each having a pair'of bearing blocks movable in the guide slots, wedge members. adjustable transversely of the slots at the' lower ends thereof and cooperating with the bearing blocks of the lower inking roller, a frame movably mounted on the stands cooperating with the bearing blocks of the upper inking roller, means acting on said frame for exerting a downward pressure on said bearing blocks, and adjustable screws carried by the movable frame'for cooperating with the fixed part for the purpose of equalizing the pressure on the rollers.

HENRY G. MUTSCHLER. 

